Anti-Slavery Society (1823–1838) facts for kids
The Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery Throughout the British Dominions was a group formed in 1823. People often called it the Anti-Slavery Society. Its main goal was to end slavery in the British Empire.
This important group achieved its goal in 1838. This happened because of the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. After the original society ended, a new group was formed in 1839. This new group, called the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, aimed to fight slavery all over the world. Today, it is known as Anti-Slavery International.
Why They Started
Many people wanted to end slavery worldwide. Early groups, like the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade (formed in 1787), first fought to stop the Atlantic slave trade. This was the trade that brought enslaved people from Western Africa to places like the Americas. Britain played a big part in this trade.
In 1807, the Slave Trade Act 1807 made the slave trade illegal in the British Empire. However, this law did not free enslaved people. So, British abolitionists (people who wanted to end slavery) then focused on ending slavery itself. They first worked to free people in British colonies. Later, they worked to end slavery in other parts of the world.
How They Worked
The Anti-Slavery Society started on January 31, 1823. A group of men met at a tavern in London to form it. The society had a long official name. But most people just called it the Anti-Slavery Society. In 1838, it was known as the London Anti-Slavery Society before it closed down.
Many of the people who started the society had already fought against slavery. Their beliefs came from their Christian faith. The society had a system where members paid fees. It also had a committee and leaders.
Some important founding members included William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson. Others were Thomas Fowell Buxton and Zachary Macaulay. These men were part of a group called the Clapham Sect. Thomas Pringle was the secretary. Many other well-known people supported the society. These included politicians, lawyers, and scientists.
Women also played a big part. They set up their own groups, like the Birmingham and West Bromwich Ladies Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves. These women's groups helped the main society.
The society also helped publish the first story by a Black enslaved woman. This was Mary Prince's book, The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave (1831). Thomas Pringle helped organize its publication.
Members of the society had different ideas about how to end slavery. Some believed in a slow, step-by-step process. Others, often younger members, felt that slavery was wrong and should end immediately. Elizabeth Heyrick wrote a pamphlet in 1824 called "Immediate, not Gradual, Abolition." This pamphlet pushed for faster action.
People like Joseph Sturge and others campaigned across Britain. They wanted to create public pressure for a new law to outlaw slavery right away. They did not want to wait for slow talks with colonial governments. In 1831, Joseph Sturge and George Stephen formed a special group. It was called the Agency Committee. This committee worked within the Anti-Slavery Society.
Their strong campaign and public pressure led to the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. This law ended slavery in most British colonies. However, the law had some parts that the committee did not like.
Some campaigners from Jamaica, like Louis Celeste Lecesne and Richard Hill, were also members.
The society, especially Joseph Sturge, also opposed new systems like indentured labour. Slavery officially ended across the British West Indies on August 1, 1838. After this, many members felt their work was done. They believed the society had achieved its main goal.
The organization changed its name to the London Anti-Slavery Society in 1838. It then stopped existing that same year.
The Anti-Slavery Society of 1839
Once slavery ended in the British Empire, abolitionists felt more work was needed. They wanted to end slavery everywhere. So, under the leadership of Joseph Sturge, a new group was formed. This was the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, started on April 17, 1839. This new group also became widely known as the Anti-Slavery Society.
See also
- American Anti-Slavery Group
- Brazilian Anti-Slavery Society
